jaw surgery

Shift Your Bite Into High Gear

November 2nd, 2018

WHEN UPPER AND LOWER DENTAL MIDLINES do not line up and the lower jaw moves to the side on closing, these are signs of a bite functional shift.

When The Upper Arch Is Too Small For The Lower...

When the upper arch is too narrow or too small for the lower jaw, the lower jaw is forced to move to the side when closing. The unwanted movement, called a functional shift, temporarily relieves discomfort by creating a maximum tooth biting surface for chewing. The unnecessary jaw movement can be eliminated by upper arch expansion and comprehensive orthodontic treatment.

The Imbalance Can Be Fixed

The upper jaw may also be too small for the face and the lower jaw. This is called maxillary deficiency. The backward position of the upper jaw can be corrected with Class III rubber bands, reverse pull headgear, or an upper jaw surgical advancement procedure.

This case was treated by board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California.

If you have questions about midlines that don’t line up or a jaw functional shift, call us at 925-757-9000. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

Straight dental midlines are important. Eliminate your bite functional shift to get your smile into high gear.

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Gorczyca Orthodontics In Antioch, California

July 11th, 2018


GORCZYCA ORTHODONTICS IS located in the Deer Valley Dental Professionals Building, at 5201 Deer Valley Road, in Antioch, California, right next to Deer Valley High School.

Where To Find Us

From Highway 4, take the Hillcrest Exit and continue right until you cross Lone Tree Way. After crossing Lone Tree Way, take the second entrance on the left at the Miranda stop light. Turn left and proceed right to the square, three-story building nextdoor to the Antioch Veterinary Hospital. Gorczyca Orthodontics is located on the first floor, right at the main entrance.

Our centralized location and easy Highway 4 access makes us easily accessible to serving all of East Contra Costa County including Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Discovery Bay, Concord, and Rio Vista. We are a one-doctor, one-location orthodontic practice, so you will always find us here, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

About Gorczcya Orthodontics

We offer all orthodontic services, including all types of braces, Phase I, Phase II, Comprehensive, and Invisalgin treatment, clear aligners, Inman retainers, short term braces, retainers, splints, night guards, mouth guards, as well as orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) and TMD (TMJ) and sleep apnea treatment.

We have patients throughout the Bay area. Because we offer exceptional specialty services in the area of orthognathic surgery, many patients drive several hours to receive treatment in our office. We also work very closely with other dental specialists in providing Interdisciplinary Adult Orthodontic Treatment, which may need implants, periodontal therapy, or crowns, veneers, or bridges. We provide diagnostic wax-ups of comprehensive cases and help coordinate your overall treatment with other dental providers.

Dr. Gorczyca

Our orthodontist, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, is a board certified orthodontist with 30 years of experience. She has personally treated over 10,000 successful cases. She is a frequent orthodontic lecturer at both the University of the Pacific Dental School, UCSF and the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Sessions, and is a member of the Angle Society, Delta Study Club (Seattle Study Club), and Contra Costa Dental Society.

Come See Us For Your Free Consultation!

We welcome you to visit our office for a free orthodontic consultation. Call us at 925-757-9000. It would be our pleasure to serve you. Learn more about us at www.clubbraces.com.

Thank you for choosing Gorczyca Orthodontics. Your smile is our inspiration.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Jaw Surgery Can Save Your Bite

January 16th, 2018

LOWER JAW SURGERY, called a bilateral sagittal split osteomy (BSSO), can move your lower tooth jaw position either forward or backward to improve both your facial appearance and your bite.

Why Jaw Surgery?

Lower jaw growth is greatly influenced by genetics and often cannot be controlled. If you have a large lower jaw (mandibular prognathism), you may benefit in facial appearance and tooth function by having your lower jaw moved back. This is called a mandibular setback.


This procedure has many benefits, including:

  • The lower jaw can be moved as desired to the ideal position
  • Nothing shows outside of your mouth. Rigid Intraoral Fixation (RIF) tiny titanium plates are used so your jaw doesn’t need to be “wired shut” during healing
  • Postsurgical healing is quick and stability is good


The chin can also be repositioned. This procedure is called a genioplasty. It is also done in about 30% of jaw surgery patients.

Is Jaw Surgery Right For You?

In Northern California, the cost of orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) is usually covered by medical insurance. Many patients have their jaw surgery treatment done at either Oakland Kaiser Hospital or UCSF Medical Center.

If you have questions regarding jaw surgery, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California at (925) 757-9000. Board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca has been treating jaw surgery patients successfully for over 30 years. Visit us for a complimentary orthodontic examination and let us help you get the bite and facial appearance of your dreams.

Jaw surgery can save your smile. It can also improve your life.

Top image by Flickr user Elvert Barnes used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Uneven Jaws can be Corrected

September 6th, 2017

SOMETIMES JAW GROWTH is uneven. It can produce jaws of different sizes right and left. One side may be too far forward or too far back. Uneven jaw growth may cause the face to look off-center or crooked.

Uneven Jaws Cause Problems For Your Smile

With uneven jaws, teeth do not fit together properly. A too-small, too-large, or crooked jaw with poor tooth position can make chewing, smiling, speaking, breathing, and even sleeping more difficult. An improper bite caused by jaw asymmetry may also lead to jaw pain or excessive tooth wear.

We Can Help Give You A Straight Smile

Uneven jaws can be fixed. Your orthodontist can help. Working together with a maxillofacial oral surgeon, your orthodontist will align your dental arches and teeth with braces or Invisalign to prepare you for orthognathic jaw surgery. Your uneven jaws will be repositioned and your smile, teeth, and bite form and function will be improved forever.

Jaw Alignment Restores Facial Symmetry

Once jaws are brought into alignment, dental midlines will match facial midlines and facial balance will be restored. Your bite and face will be more symmetrical and you will look and feel great.

Jaw corrections are all done within the mouth. Incisions, screws or plates (fixation devices) won't be seen or felt with jaw surgery. The short side of the jaw will be lengthened and the long side of the jaw will be shortened. The chin will also be centered (genioplasty). Your natural look will make it difficult for anyone to know that you had jaw surgery done at all.

If you have uneven jaws, we're here to help. Call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road in Antioch, California (925) 757-9000. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

Uneven jaws can be corrected. Enjoy your results for the rest of your life, and keep smiling!

Your smile is our inspiration.

Top image by Flickr user Yann Caradec used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

"Like Father, Like Son" and Orthognathic Surgery

June 22nd, 2016

WE'VE ALL HEARD the proverb "Like father, like son" to describe the likelihood that a son will have traits like his father in adulthood. This is especially true when it comes to the genetics of jaw growth and need for orthognathic surgery.

Many young men ages 21 and older pursue correction of jaw imbalances during college or shortly after their college years. What frequently happens is Dad then follows with his own orthoganthic surgery. Now, it is "like son, like father."

Orthoganthic Surgery Can Improve Your Bite

When fathers see the beautiful results of their son's orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment, they start to think how nice it would be to have their own bite corrected.

Often, a jaw is advanced by orthognathic surgery. This not only corrects the bite, such as a crossbite, but also opens the airway helping to improve breathing and reduce sleep apnea.

A Corrected Bite Opens A Variety Of Options

Once a crossbite is corrected, it is now possible to have crowns and veneers done on the front teeth. Eating will be easier, and you will look gorgeous and feel great.

Orthognathic surgery is usually covered 100% by medical insurance with the exception of a small co-payment. Patients may stay overnight in the hospital and one to three weeks of work medical leave is taken. Patients are usually able to move their jaws after surgery and wear upper jaw lower jaw rubber bands while eating a soft diet for a few weeks of recovery.

If your apple hasn't fallen far from your tree and you would also benefit from orthognathic jaw surgery, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California 925-757-9000. Find us at www.clubbbraces.com.

Board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca and team have completed hundreds of successful orthognathic surgery cases with comfort. We will complete your orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment as gently and quickly as possible.

We know your child was a "chip of the old block." It's never too late to do a little "old block" reshaping.

Jackie O and Short Term Ortho

May 24th, 2016

WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD done short-term ortho on Jackie O?

The result would have been hideous. An obvious Class II Division 2 skeletal malocclusion, if a dental care provider had straightened Jackie O's tipped in and crowded upper front teeth without surgery or extractions she would have ended up looking like Bart Simpson.

This is something a real orthodontist would never do. Yet, primary providers, uneducated in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning, offer short term orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign to skeletal Class II patients without correcting the underlying skeletal problem.

Short-term Orthodontic Treatment May Reveal Other Issues

Straightening of severely tipped and crowded upper front teeth in a Class II Division 2 bite actually unmasks the horizontal jaw discrepancy giving these patients a new appearance of "buck teeth" following short-term ortho.

If left without moving the lower jaw forward or upper tooth extraction, non-correction of the underlying skeletal problem leads to many new problems including:

  • Poor facial appearance
  • Lip incompetence, open lips
  • Lip biting
  • Speech problems
  • Front tooth display at rest
  • Increased risk of front tooth trauma
  • Lower tooth overeruption
  • Upper palate biting
  • Impinging deep bite
  • Poor bite
  • Excessive tooth wear

Correcting Short-term Ortho Mistakes Can Be Costly

Once the severe overjet and overbite is worsened by short term ortho, most patients seek orthodontic correction with an orthodontist. Unfortunately, many of these patients have already paid $4,500 to a provider of short term ortho. Now, a real orthodontist must tell the patient that their orthodontic treatment must be redone correctly for an additional cost of $7,000. This is a very unfortunate and uncomfortable situation.

Patients are being hurt physically, emotionally, and financially by not getting initial diagnosis and treatment by an orthodontist. Once this happens, trust in the primary provider of short-term ortho is gone forever.

Don't be one of these unfortunate patients. Do your research and get information about orthodontists and orthodontic treatment.

If You Have Questions, Contact An Orthodontist

If you have questions regarding short-term orthodontic treatment, seek orthodontic care with a real orthodontist, a dentist who has completed an additional two or three years of full time residency and has had intensive training to become an expert in orthodontics. Find an orthodontist by choosing a member of the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

The Class II Division 2 smile can be spotted by an orthodontist or maxillofacial oral surgeon from the nose bleed section of the audience. It requires a mandibular advancement surgery or upper tooth extraction for a beautiful and ideal result.

Here are some facts regarding mandibular advancement surgery in the year 2016:

  • Can be completed in as little as 13 months
  • Wiring shut is not required
  • Cost usually covered by medical insurance
  • Over night hospital stay usually not needed
  • Done within the mouth
  • No permanent bruising or scaring
  • Increases the airway
  • Lessens snoring
  • Reduces sleep apnea

If you have questions regarding mandibular advancement jaw surgery, contact an oral surgeon, an expert in face, mouth and jaw surgery. You can find an oral surgeon at the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons at www.aaoms.org.

If you have a Class II Division 2 bite like Jackie O, fix it correctly or do nothing at all.

Thanks for the smiles, Jackie O.

Once Upon An Orthodontic Office...

March 2nd, 2016

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a princess named Veronica. She did not look like a real princess because her face made her look sad. Quiet and thoughtful, the smile of her eyes, gums, and teeth did not express the happiness in her heart.

One Day There Was A Terrible Storm...

One day there was a terrible storm. There was thunder and lightning, and rain poured down in torrents. To come in from the cold, the princess knocked on the door of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California.

An Old Queen came to the door and looked at the princess. “Good gracious!” said the Queen. “You are under the spell of vertical maxillary excess giving you ‘Adenoid Facies’. This makes you look sad by:

1. Showing the whites of your eyes under your pupils
2. Pulling down the smile muscles of your cheeks
3. Separating your lips at rest
4. Allowing your teeth to protrude
5. Giving your chin a puckered ‘golf ball’ appearance”

Orthodontic Treatment Is A Fast And Permanent Solution

A Wizard had told the princess she could be saved by a lifetime of Botox needle shots to her upper lip. “Hogwash!” said the Queen. “This will not help you! We need a fast and permanent solution by an orthodontist. Let us be happy and fix this forever. Your prince will be here soon!”

A Young Prince Arrived...

Soon the Princess’s teeth were straight, and she was smiling ear to ear. A young prince arrived to Antioch, California from Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico. He looked at Veronica and said “You are dear to me. By the smile on your happy face, I can see that you have the best heart and that you are a real princess. I will marry you!”

So the prince and princess were married. Nothing made the Queen happier than to see the prince and princess happy and thriving. They soon had four children. And, they all lived happily ever after.

This Is A True Story!

This is a true story. Veronica is now Treatment Coordinator at Gorczyca Orthodontics and her orthodontic treatment was done by Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California.

To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

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More Topics
diplomate american board of orthodontics Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists advanced education in orthdontics
member american association of orthodontists seattle study club american dental association california dental association
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